Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Something special and new for you this this time round. Karen Schweitzer will be doing a guest post. Karen is the About.com guide to Business School. Karen also writes reviews of Online Colleges for OnlineColleges.net. There is some great stuff here, I have reviewed all the links Karen has provided and have actually printed some of the study materials down to read and incorporate in future posts, take it away Karen.

Whether you are a beginning astronomer or a professional who is interested in learning more about a specific topic, there are plenty of places to get a free astronomy education online. Here are ten courses, podcasts, encyclopedias, and other education resources to explore:

Introduction to Astronomy- The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) offers this free course to introduce self-learners to astronomy. The course includes readings, study materials, assignments, and quizzes with an answer key.

Elementary Astronomy- This free online course from the College of Eastern Utah focuses on the formation and existence of the sun, moon, planets, stars, and comets. The course includes 38 pages of informative handouts with illustrations.

Astronomy 101- The About.com Guide to Astronomy offers this free online course to self-learners who are interested in learning the basics of astronomy. The 10-lesson course includes an assignment, links to more in-depth information, a final quiz, and forums where students can ask questions. A certificate is awarded to those who finish the course.

Hands-On Astronomy- This free online astronomy course from MIT focuses on observing stars and planets. The course teaches students how to use small telescopes with lecture notes and other self-study materials.

Old Shanghai Observatory Star Theater

The Solar System- This free online course, also from MIT, provides an introduction to the solar system. Students learn about the formation and life of the solar system through assignments, fact sheets, and other course materials.

Essential Radio Astronomy- This advanced-level astronomy course was designed for students who already have some knowledge of astronomy. The text-based course includes problems sets and exams with solutions.

Astronomy Network- The Astronomy Network is a social network for astronomers and astronomy enthusiasts. The site is a great place to learn more about astronomy online through discussions, blog posts, and videos.

World Of Astronomy- World of Astronomy is a comprehensive online encyclopedia of astronomy topics. Visitors can learn more about galactic astronomy, observational astronomy, the solar system, stars, and much more.

Ask An Astronomer- Volunteers at Cornell University's Astronomy Department offer this free public service to people around the world who are interested in astronomy. You can browse previously asked questions or submit your own question to be answered by one of the graduate students at Cornell.

Thank you Karen, with all the information out there it's nice to have an expert do the research on where to get stuff. I'll leave you now with an animation of the Greater Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi'an China, built in 652 it was used to hold sutras and figurines that were brought back from India by Xuanzang

Wow, thanks Karen and Bob for a great post with lots of interesting courses. I just ordered my Galileoscope (in conjunction with my employer's up coming Customer Service week event, which is themed to Astronomy and Space). The scope would be a good candidate for use with the MIT Hands on Astronomy course - build the scope and then have some fun observing.

Hey Jackie, thanks alot, but Karen was the one who approached me with the idea, hey but I said great idea,lol. Glad you're back in your correct orbit, thanks for dropping by and have a great week.\m/\m/

Wow, what a great post. I took astronomy way back when I was in college. It was a great course. My instructor was a radio astronomer. I forget his name now, but about ten years after he was my instructor I saw him on a PBS special. I couldn't believe it.

Hey thanks Max, Karen did a great job, both MIT courses I'm looking at now. I thought the Observatory images fit nicely, a good example of the average new person to astronomy learning, lots of questions were asked that day.

Totally agree with you about the gardens, they have the best, so original and beautiful.

Their eastern religions, very interesting, every temple I visited I got images of them praying to all different types of Buddhas, and the incense, I even got to take some home from the Jade Temple, the home of the famous jade reclining Buddha, saw monks in training with their orange outfits, very , very interesting, and how Buddhism came from India 2,000 years ago and how it fit nicely with their Taoism.\m/\m/

I can't live without incense lol. You will love that incense that you brought - trust me.

Did you know that I was once (upon a time) a Buddhist? I was one for a while, but then I quit because I couldn't live without praising God and serving Him (and, as you know, Buddhism rejects the idea of an intervening God).